Near-Ultraviolet and Visible Spectroscopy of HAYABUSA Spacecraft Re-entry

HAYABUSA is the first spacecraft ever to land on and lift off from any celestial body other than the moon. The mission, which returned asteroid samples to the Earth while overcoming various technical hurdles, ended on June 13, 2010, with the planned atmospheric re-entry. In order to safely deliver the sample return capsule, the HAYABUSA spacecraft ended its 7-year journey in a brilliant "artificial fireball" over the Australian desert. Spectroscopic observation was carried out in the near-ultraviolet and visible wavelengths between 3000 and 7500 \AA at 3 - 20 \AA resolution. Approximately 100 atomic lines such as Fe I, Mg I, Na I, Al I, Cr I, Mn I, Ni I, Ti I, Li I, Zn I, O I, and N I were identified from the spacecraft. Exotic atoms such as Cu I, Mo I, Xe I and Hg I were also detected. A strong Li I line (6708 \AA) at a height of ~55 km originated from the onboard Li-Ion batteries. The FeO molecule bands at a height of ~63 km were probably formed in the wake of the spacecraft. The effective excitation temperature as determined from the atomic lines varied from 4500 K to 6000 K. The observed number density of Fe I was about 10 times more abundant than Mg I after the spacecraft explosion. N2+(1-) bands from a shock layer and CN violet bands from the sample return capsule's ablating heat shield were dominant molecular bands in the near-ultraviolet region of 3000 - 4000 \AA. OH(A-X) band was likely to exist around 3092 \AA. A strong shock layer from the HAYABUSA spacecraft was rapidly formed at heights between 93 km and 83 km, which was confirmed by detection of N2+(1-) bands with a vibration temperature of ~13000 K. Gray-body temperature of the capsule at a height of ~42 km was estimated to be ~2437 K which is matched to a theoretical prediction. The final message of the HAYABUSA spacecraft and its sample return capsule are discussed through our spectroscopy.Comment: Accepted for publication in PASJ, 22 pages, 7 figures, 6 table

Endoscopic Nd:YAG Laser Treatment in the Perioperative Management of Tracheobronchoplasty

The objective of this study was to determine the role of endoscopic Nd:YAG laser treatment in the preoperative or postoperative management of tracheobronchoplasty. Eighteen patients with severe stenotic lesions of the trachea or bronchus underwent Nd:YAG laser treatment. Nd:YAG laser treatment was performed in the preoperative period in 14 patients and in the postoperative period in 4 patients. The indications for Nd:YAG laser treatment included emergency airway dilatation, confirmation of the distal margin of tumor, and safe tracheal intubation in patients with severe tracheal stenosis. The indications for Nd:YAG laser treatment in patients with severe stenosis of the mainstem bronchus were confirmation of the distal margin of tumor and recovery of lung ventilation during the preoperative period and reopening of the bronchial lumen to prevent obstructive pneumonia in the postoperative period. Among patients treated with Nd:YAG laser preoperatively, the indications were completely achieved in all 14 patients, except for 1 patient with adenoid cystic carcinoma who underwent treatment of the right mainstem bronchus. Among patients treated with Nd:YAG laser postoperatively the indications also were achieved in all 4 patients with severe granulomatous stenosis of the bronchial end-to-end anastomosis following sleeve lobectomy. In conclusion, endoscopic Nd:YAG laser treatment played an important role in the perioperative management of patients undergoing tracheobronchoplasty

A Novel Enzymatic System against Oxidative Stress in the Thermophilic Hydrogen-Oxidizing Bacterium Hydrogenobacter thermophilus

Rubrerythrin (Rbr) is a non-heme iron protein composed of two distinctive domains and functions as a peroxidase in anaerobic organisms. A novel Rbr-like protein, ferriperoxin (Fpx), was identified in Hydrogenobacter thermophilus and was found not to possess the rubredoxin-like domain that is present in typical Rbrs. Although this protein is widely distributed among aerobic organisms, its function remains unknown. In this study, Fpx exhibited ferredoxin:NADPH oxidoreductase (FNR)-dependent peroxidase activity and reduced both hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and organic hydroperoxide in the presence of NADPH and FNR as electron donors. The calculated Km and Vmax values of Fpx for organic hydroperoxides were comparable to that for H2O2, demonstrating a multiple reactivity of Fpx towards hydroperoxides. An fpx gene disruptant was unable to grow under aerobic conditions, whereas its growth profiles were comparable to those of the wild-type strain under anaerobic and microaerobic conditions, clearly indicating the indispensability of Fpx as an antioxidant of H. thermophilus in aerobic environments. Structural analysis suggested that domain-swapping occurs in Fpx, and this domain-swapped structure is well conserved among thermophiles, implying the importance of structural stability of domain-swapped conformation for thermal environments. In addition, Fpx was located on a deep branch of the phylogenetic tree of Rbr and Rbr-like proteins. This finding, taken together with the wide distribution of Fpx among Bacteria and Archaea, suggests that Fpx is an ancestral type of Rbr homolog that functions as an essential antioxidant and may be part of an ancestral peroxide-detoxification system

Endotoxemia by Porphyromonas gingivalis Injection Aggravates Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Disrupts Glucose/Lipid Metabolism, and Alters Gut Microbiota in Mice

Many risk factors related to the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have been proposed, including the most well-known of diabetes and obesity as well as periodontitis. As periodontal pathogenic bacteria produce endotoxins, periodontal treatment can result in endotoxemia. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of intravenous, sonicated Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) injection on glucose/lipid metabolism, liver steatosis, and gut microbiota in mice. Endotoxemia was induced in C57BL/6J mice (8 weeks old) by intravenous injection of sonicated Pg; Pg was deactivated but its endotoxin remained. The mice were fed a high-fat diet and administered sonicated Pg (HFPg) or saline (HFco) injections for 12 weeks. Liver steatosis, glucose metabolism, and gene expression in the liver were evaluated. 16S rRNA gene sequencing with metagenome prediction was performed on the gut microbiota. Compared to HFco mice, HFPg mice exhibited impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance along with increased liver steatosis. Liver microarray analysis demonstrated that 1278 genes were differentially expressed between HFco and HFPg mice. Gene set enrichment analysis showed that fatty acid metabolism, hypoxia, and TNFα signaling via NFκB gene sets were enriched in HFPg mice. Although sonicated Pg did not directly reach the gut, it changed the gut microbiota and decreased bacterial diversity in HFPg mice. Metagenome prediction in the gut microbiota showed enriched citrate cycle and carbon fixation pathways in prokaryotes. Overall, intravenous injection of sonicated Pg caused impaired glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, and liver steatosis in mice fed high-fat diets. Thus, blood infusion of Pg contributes to NAFLD and alters the gut microbiota

Gene Transfer Using Micellar Nanovectors Inhibits Choroidal Neovascularization In Vivo

PURPOSE: Age-related macular degeneration caused by choroidal neovascularization (CNV) remains difficult to be treated despite the recent advent of several treatment options. In this study, we investigated the in vivo angiogenic control by intravenous injection of polyion complex (PIC) micelle encapsulating plasmid DNA (pDNA) using a mice CNV model. METHODS: The transfection efficiency of the PIC micelle was investigated using the laser-induced CNV in eight-week-old male C57 BJ/6 mice. Firstly, each mouse received intravenous injection of micelle encapsulating pDNA of Yellow Fluorescent Protein (pYFP) on days 1,3 and 5. The expression of YFP was analyzed using fluorescein microscopy and western blotting analysis. In the next experiments, each mouse received intravenous injection of micelle encapsulating pDNA of soluble Fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (psFlt-1) 1,3 and 5 days after the induction of CNV and the CNV lesion was analyzed by choroidal flatmounts on day 7. RESULTS: Fluorescein microscopy and western blotting analysis revealed that the expression of YFP was confirmed in the CNV area after injection of the PIC micelle, but the expression was not detected neither in mice that received naked pDNA nor those without CNV. Furthermore, the CNV area in the mice that received intravenous injection of the psFlt-1-encapsulated PIC micelle was significantly reduced by 65% compared to that in control mice (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Transfection of sFlt-1 with the PIC micelle by intravenous injection to mice CNV models showed significant inhibition of CNV. The current results revealed the significant potential of nonviral gene therapy for regulation of CNV using the PIC micelle encapsulating pDNA

Presence of increased inflammatory infiltrates accompanied by activated dendritic cells in the left atrium in rheumatic heart disease.

AIMS:Left atrial (LA) structural remodelling develops in rheumatic heart disease (RHD) according to the disease severity of the mitral valve and the presence of atrial fibrillation. Sustained active inflammation has been previously reported in the LA of patients with RHD, suggesting a direct role of cell-mediated immunity in the pathogenesis of LA remodelling. Dendritic cells (DCs) have a major antigen-presenting role, and are known as crucial modulators of innate and adaptive immunity. We investigated whether DCs are involved in the pathogenesis of LA remodelling in RHD. METHODS AND RESULTS:Immunohistochemical analyses were performed using antibodies to CD11c, CD209 and CD80 as markers of myeloid DCs, migratory-active DCs, mature DCs and infiltrated inflammatory cells including T lymphocytes (CD3) and M1 (CD68; pro-inflammatory profile) and M2 (CD163; pro-resolution profile) macrophages. Furthermore, tenascin-C, an extracellular matrix (ECM) protein that appears during ECM remodelling and inflammatory response, was examined. Infiltrated myeloid DCs, migratory-active DCs, mature DCs and other inflammatory infiltrates including T lymphocytes and M1 and M2 macrophages, were significantly higher in the RHD group than the non-RHD group. The positive area fraction for tenascin-C was significantly higher in the RHD group than in the non-RHD group. CONCLUSION:Our histological findings suggest that inflammation may persist long after a bout of rheumatic fever, ultimately leading to ECM remodelling. We identified and quantitatively assessed several subsets of DCs and other immunocompetent cells, and our results indicated that activation of DCs has some role in persistence of LA inflammation in patients with chronic RHD

Functional dysbiosis within dental plaque microbiota in cleft lip and palate patients

Abstract Background Dental caries is a polymicrobial disease and prevalent among cleft lip and palate (CLP) patients, although their oral hygiene is well maintained. Dysbiosis, the state of imbalance within the dental plaque microbiota, may cause caries prevalence among these patients. However, little is known about how dysbiosis occurs and affects cariogenicity. To find dysbiotic signs, here we conducted a metatranscriptomic analysis for the plaque microbiota in six CLP patients and four controls. Methods Total bacterial RNA was extracted from each sample and sequenced. Bacterial composition and functional profiles were estimated from 16S rRNA and mRNA reads, respectively. The mRNA reads were further used for estimating bacterial composition. Species listed in both rRNA-based and mRNA-based bacterial composition were identified as viable taxa with in situ function (VTiF), and the VTiF with a high mRNA-to-rRNA ratio were considered to be transcriptionally active. A network was constructed for each group by connecting two VTiF if their mRNA abundances were positively correlated. Results The bacterial composition and functional profiles themselves did not provide remarkable signs of dysbiosis in the CLP group. However, the group-specific active taxa were identified, including streptococcal and Prevotella species in the CLP group. Moreover, the network structure was different between groups; Actinomyces johnsonii and several species in the CLP group were the active taxa, which were connected based on positive correlations with statistical significance. Conclusions Functional dysbiosis within the plaque microbiota was observed such as difference of the network structure between groups, and may be associated with cariogenicity. The observed functional dysbiosis was an invisible change within the microbiota in the oral cavity of CLP patients. This may emphasize the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene of the patients with cleft anomalies